The Fast Family can move on happily as producer Neal H. Mortiz has settled his lawsuit with Universal Pictures. Moritz is one of the key producers behind the Fast & Furious franchise but filed a lawsuit against the studio in October 2018 over the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, which stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham. The two sides have now settled and can focus once again on expanding the scope of the franchise.
According to a new report Neal H. Moritz and Universal have settled for an undisclosed amount. Moritz had filed a suit alleging breach of contract previously. Mortiz alleged he had been removed from Hobbs & Shaw ahead of filming. This resulted in a squabble over profit participation, with Moritz wishing to be either reinstated as a producer or be awarded damages in the “tens of millions” range. A spokesperson for Universal had this to say about it.
“Neal H. Moritz has been an integral part of the Fast & Furious family since the inception of the franchise nearly two decades ago. The studio and Neal have amicably resolved our dispute and settled all claims relating to the Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw. We’re glad to put this issue behind us and focus on the future of this franchise.”
Hobbs & Shaw was the first spin-off within the franchise and hit theaters last summer. Directed by David Leitch, it teamed up The Rock’s Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw for a globe-trotting, action-packed adventure. Audiences turned up in droves, as the movie grossed $759 million at the box office. As such, it seems Neal H. Moritz stood to make a lot of money as a producer on the project. Moritz had this to say about the settlement.
“Fast & Furious has always been about family and unfortunately we had a little family disagreement. I am happy to rejoin my Universal and Fast family to continue to work on the Fast saga for many films to come. I appreciate Universal’s leadership team working with me and my attorney Howard Abramson to resolve this fairly.”
Neal H. Moritz is a prolific producer with more than 100 credits to his name. Some of his recent projects include The Boys, Sonic the Hedgehog, Bloodshot and Spenser Confidential. Mortiz also produced Fast & Furious Spy Racers for Netflix. He is also on board as a producer for Fast & Furious 9, officially titled F9. And, as we recently learned, the ninth entry will be taking the action to space. Not to mention that it will bring Han back to the fold.
To date, the franchise has earned nearly $6 billion globally, making it one of the most successful in history. F9 was originally set to arrive in theaters in May but was delayed to April 2021 following the theater shut down. Beyond that, Fast & Furious 10 is already in the works, which Vin Diesel has teased may be split into two parts. Plus, Hobbs & Shaw 2 is already being developed, with Diesel also working on a female-led spin-off. This news comes to us via Deadline.
